Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina: Where the renovated No. 2 moves to no. 1

PINEHURST, N.C. - I’m officially a member of Pinehurst.

No, I didn’t write a check for monthly dues. I did what almost everybody does on the famed No. 2 course – I putted off of a green. I came to Pinehurst Resort full of false bravado. My handicap has never been lower, but it was still no match for these treacherous Donald Ross greens.

Putting off of a green is a cardinal sin everywhere except No. 2. Members have an old saying that you’re not really a part of the club until you’ve done it.

Putting off of the sixth green into a mammoth bunker might have ruined my scorecard, but it didn’t ruin a new-found affection for this two-time U.S. Open venue. In all honesty, I wasn’t much of a No. 2 fan until today. My first, and only, time playing the course way back in 1999 wasn’t particularly memorable.

Count me among the legion of golfers who love the new No. 2 renovated by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw in 2011. The new sandscapes filled with native grasses lining the fairway look dramatic. They add a visual flair lacking in the older version (see the photos above and below). I found them incredibly intimidating. I was in them all day. The pros of the PGA TOUR and LPGA Tour will have their hands full with the awkward sandy lies they’re sure to see during the 2014 U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open next June.

Like a lot of golfers, I walked off no. 2 frustrated and exasperated. However, unlike my feelings after that first round years ago, I want to play it again. And again. And again.

I used to tell people that No. 2 wasn’t my favorite course at Pinehurst, that No. 4 and No. 8 were great. I’m changing my tune. No. 2 is No. 1 again.

Jason Scott Deegan has reviewed more than 400 courses and golf destinations for some of the industry's biggest publications. His work has been honored by the Golf Writer's Association of America and the Michigan Press Association. His favorite golf destination is Ireland, but a close second is his home state of Michigan, where he lives with his wife and two children.